_An account of New York and its vicinity. From Sketches of America by_
HENRY BRADSHAW FEARON.
Mr. Fearon was deputed by several friends in England, to visit the
United States, for the purpose of obtaining information, by which they
should regulate their conduct, in emigrating from their native country,
to settle in America. He arrived in the bay of New York, about the
beginning of August, 1817.
Here every object was interesting to him. The pilot brought on board the
ship the newspapers of the morning. In these, many of the advertisements
had, to Mr. Fearon, the character of singularity. One of them,
announcing a play, terminated thus: "gentlemen are informed that no
smoking is allowed in the theatre." Several sailing boats passed, with
respectable persons in them, many of whom wore enormously large straw
hats, turned up behind. At one o'clock, the vessel was anchored close to
the city; and a great number of persons were collected on the wharf to
witness her arrival. Many of these belonged to the labouring class;
others were of the mercantile and genteeler orders. Large straw hats
prevailed, and trowsers were universal. The general costume of these
persons was inferior to that of men in the same rank of life in England:
their whole appearance was loose, slovenly, careless, and not remarkable
for cleanliness. The wholesale stores, which front the river, had not
the most attractive appearance imaginable. The carts were long and
narrow, and each was drawn by one horse. The hackney-coaches were open
at the sides, an arrangement well suited to this warm climate; and the
charge was about one fourth higher than in London.
This city, when approached from the sea, presents an appearance that is
truly beautiful. It stands at the extreme point of Manhattan, or York
island, which is thirteen miles long, and from one to two miles wide;
and the houses are built from shore to shore. Vessels of any burden can
come close up to the town, and lie there in perfect safety, in a natural
harbour formed by the _East_ and _Hudson's rivers_. New York contains
120,000 inhabitants, and is, indisputably, the most important commercial
city in America.
The _streets_ through which Mr. Fearon passed, to a boarding-house in
State-street, were narrow and dirty. The _Battery_, however, is a
delightful walk, at the edge of the bay; and several of the houses in
State-street are as large as those in Bridge-street, Blackfriars,
London. At the house in which Mr. Fearon resided, the hours of eating
were, breakfast, eight o'clock; dinner half-past three, tea seven, and
supper ten; and the whole expence of living amounted to about eighteen
dollars per week.
The _street population_ of New York has an aspect very different from
that of London, or the large towns in England. One striking feature of
it is formed by the number of blacks, many of whom are finely dressed:
the females are ludicrously so, generally in white muslin, with
artificial flowers and pink shoes. Mr. Fearon saw very few well-dressed
white ladies; but this was a time of the year when most of them were
absent at the springs of Balston and Saratoga, places of fashionable
resort, about 200 miles from New York.
All the native inhabitants of this city have sallow complexions. To have
colour in the cheeks is here considered a criterion by which a person is
known to be an Englishman. The young men are tall, thin, and solemn:
they all wear trowsers, and most of them walk about in loose great
coats.
There are, in New York, many _hotels_; some of which are on an extensive
scale. The City Hotel is as large as the London Tavern. The dining-room
and some of the private apartments seem to have been fitted up
regardless of expense. The _shops_, or stores, as they are here called,
have nothing in their exterior to recommend them to notice: there is not
even an attempt at tasteful display. In this city the linen and
woollen-drapers expose great quantities of their goods, loose on boxes,
in the street, without any precaution against theft. This practice, a
proof of their carelessness, is at the same time an evidence as to the
political state of society which is worthy of attention. Great masses of
the population cannot be unemployed, or robbery would be inevitable.
There are, in New York, many excellent private dwellings, built of red
painted brick, which gives them a peculiarly neat and clean appearance.
In Broadway and Wall-street, trees are planted along the side of the
pavement. The City Hall is a large and elegant building, in which the
courts of law are held. Most of the _streets_ are dirty: in many of them
sawyers prepare their wood for sale, and all are infested with pigs.
On the whole, a walk through New York will disappoint an Englishman:
there is an apparent carelessness, a laziness, an unsocial indifference,
which freezes the blood and disgusts the judgment. An evening stroll
along Broadway, when the lamps are lighted, will please more than one at
noonday. The shops will look rather better, but the manners of the
proprietors will not greatly please an Englishman: their cold
indifference may be mistaken, by themselves, for independence, but no
person of thought and observation will ever concede to them that they
have selected a wise mode of exhibiting that dignified feeling.
[There is, in New York, a seminary for education, called _Columbia
College_. This institution was originally named "King's College," and
was founded in the year 1754. Its annual revenue is about 4000 dollars.
A botanic garden, situated about four miles from the city, was, not long
ago, purchased by the state, of Dr. Hosach, for 73,000 dollars, and
given to the college. The faculty of medicine, belonging to this
institution, has been incorporated under the title of "The College of
Physicians and Surgeons of the University of New York."]
The _Town Hall_ of this city is a noble building, of white marble; and
the space around it is planted and railed off. The interior appears to
be well arranged. In the rooms of the mayor and corporation, are
portraits of several governors of this state, and of some distinguished
officers. The state rooms and courts of justice are on the first floor.
In the immediate vicinity of the hall is an extensive building,
appropriated to the "New York Institution," the "Academy of fine Arts,"
and the "American Museum." There are also a state prison, an hospital,
and many splendid churches.
When a traveller surveys this city, and recollects that, but two
centuries since, the spot on which it stands was a wilderness, he cannot
but be surprised at its present comparative extent and opulence.
With regard to _trades_ in New York, Mr. Fearon remarks that building
appeared to be carried on to a considerable extent, and was generally
performed by contract. There were many timber, or lumber-yards, (as they
are here called,) but not on the same large and compact scale as in
England. Cabinet-work was neatly executed, and at a reasonable price.
Chair-making was an extensive business. Professional men, he says,
literally swarm in the United States; and lawyers are as common in New
York as paupers are in England. A gentleman, walking in the Broadway,
seeing a friend pass, called out to him, "Doctor!" and immediately
sixteen persons turned round, to answer the call. It is estimated that
there are, in New York, no fewer than 1500 spirit shops, yet the
Americans have not the character of being drunkards. There are several
large carvers' and gilders' shops; and glass-mirrors and picture-frames
are executed with taste and elegance. Plate-glass is imported from
France, Holland, and England. Booksellers' shops are extensive; but
English novels and poetry are the primary articles of a bookseller's
business. Many of the popular English books are here reprinted, but in a
smaller size, and on worse paper than the original. There are, in this
city, a few boarding-schools for ladies; but, in general, males and
females, of all ages, are educated at the same establishment. No species
of correction is allowed. Children, even at home, are perfectly
independent; subordination being foreign to the comprehension of all
persons in the United States.
The _rents of houses_ are here extremely high. Very small houses, in
situations not convenient for business, and containing, in the whole,
only six rooms, are worth from L.75 to L.80 per annum; and for similar
houses, in first-rate situations, the rents as high as from L.160 to
L.200 are paid. Houses like those in Oxford-street and the best part of
Holborn, are let for L.500 or L.600 pounds per annum.
_Provisions_ are somewhat cheaper than in London; but most of the
articles of clothing are dear, being chiefly of British manufacture.
With regard to _religion_ in the United States, there is legally the
most unlimited liberty. There is no established religion; but the
professors of the presbyterian and the episcopalian, or church of
England tenets, take the precedence, both in numbers and respectability.
Their ministers receive each from two to eight thousand dollars per
annum. All the churches are said to be well filled. The episcopalians,
though they do not form any part of the state, have their bishops and
other orders, as in England.
Mr. Fearon remarks, generally, respecting the United States, that every
industrious man may obtain a living; but that America is not the
political elysium which it has been so floridly described, and which the
imaginations of many have fondly anticipated.
In the _courts of law_ there appears to be a perfect equality between
the judge, the counsel, the jury, the tipstaff, and the auditors; and
Mr. Fearon was informed that great corruption exists in the minor
courts.
New York is called a "free state;" and it may perhaps be so termed
theoretically, or in comparison with its southern neighbours; but, even
here, there are multitudes of negroes in a state of slavery, and who are
bought and sold as cattle would be in England. And so degrading do the
white inhabitants consider it, to associate with blacks, that the latter
are absolutely excluded from all places of public worship, which the
whites attend. Even the most degraded white person will neither eat nor
walk with a negro.
_Long Island_ is a part of the state of New York, one hundred and twenty
miles in length, and twelve in breadth. It is chiefly occupied by
farmers; and is divided into two counties.
* * * * *
Mr. Fearon made several excursions into the state of _New Jersey_,
situated opposite to that of New York, and on the southern side of the
river _Hudson_. The valleys abound in black oaks, ash, palms, and poplar
trees. Oak and hickory-nut trees grow in situations which are
overflowed. The soil is not considered prolific. _Newark_ is a
manufacturing town, in this province, of considerable importance, and
delightfully situated. It contains many excellent houses, and a
population of about eight thousand persons, including slaves. Carriages
and chairs are here made in great numbers, chiefly for sale in the
southern markets.
For the purpose of visiting the property of a gentleman who resided in
the vicinity of _Fishkill_, a creek somewhat more than sixty miles from
New York, Mr. Fearon took his passage in a steam-boat. He paid for his
fare three dollars and a half, and the voyage occupied somewhat more
than eight hours. The vessel was of the most splendid description. It
contained one hundred and sixty beds; and the ladies had a distinct
cabin. On the deck were numerous conveniences, such as baggage-rooms,
smoking-rooms, &c. The general occupation, during the voyage, was
card-playing. In the houses of two gentlemen whom Mr. Fearon visited
near Fishkill, he was much gratified by the style of living, the
substantial elegance of the furniture, and the mental talents of the
company. Here he found both comfort and cleanliness, requisites which
are scarcely known in America.
In a general summary of his opinion respecting persons desirous of
emigrating from England to America, Mr. Fearon says, that the capitalist
may obtain, for his money, seven per cent. with good security. The
lawyer and the doctor will not succeed. An orthodox minister would do
so. The proficient in the fine arts will find little encouragement. The
literary man must starve. The tutor's posts are all occupied. The
shopkeeper may do as well, but not better than in London, unless he be a
man of superior talent, and have a large capital: for such requisites
there is a fine opening. The farmer must labour hard, and be but
scantily remunerated. The clerk and shopman will get but little more
than their board and lodging. Mechanics, whose trades are of the _first
necessity_, will do well: but men who are not mechanics, and who
understand only the cotton, linen, woollen, glass, earthenware, silk, or
stocking manufactories, cannot obtain employment. The labouring man will
do well; particularly if he have a wife and children who are capable of
contributing, not merely to the consuming, but also to the earning of
the common stock.
_Narrative of_ MR. FEARON'S _Journey from New York to Boston._
ON the 8th of September this gentleman left New York for Boston. After a
passage of twelve hours, the vessel in which he sailed arrived at _New
Haven_, a city in Connecticut, distant from New York, by water, about
ninety miles. This place has a population of about five thousand
persons, and has the reputation of ranking among the most beautiful
towns in the United States. [It is situated at the head of a bay,
between two rivers, and contains about five hundred houses, which are
chiefly built of wood, but on a regular plan: it has also several public
edifices, and about four thousand inhabitants. The harbour is spacious,
well protected, and has good anchorage. There is at New Haven a college,
superintended by a president, a professor in divinity, and three
tutors.]
From this place Mr. Fearon proceeded to _New London_, a small town on
the west side of the river Thames. Here he took a place in the coach for
Providence. American stages are a species of vehicles with which none in
England can be compared. They carry twelve passengers: none outside. The
coachman, or driver, sits inside with the company. In length they are
nearly equal to two English stages. Few of them go on springs. The sides
are open; the roof being supported by six small posts. The luggage is
carried behind, and in the inside. The seats are pieces of plain board;
and there are leathers which can be let down from the top, and which,
though useful as a protection against wet, are of little service in cold
weather.
The passengers breakfasted at _Norwich_, a manufacturing and trading
town, about fourteen miles from New London; and, at six o'clock in the
evening, they arrived at _New Providence_, the capital of Rhode Island,
having occupied thirteen hours in travelling only fifty miles. In the
general appearance of the country, Mr. Fearon had been somewhat
disappointed. All the houses within sight from the road were
farm-houses. He remarks that, in Connecticut and Rhode Island, the land
was stony, and the price of produce was not commensurate to that of
labour.
On entering Providence, Mr. Fearon was much pleased with the beauty of
the place. In appearance, it combined the attractions of Southampton and
Doncaster, in England. There are, in this town, an excellent
market-house, a workhouse, four or five public schools, an university
with a tolerable library, and an hospital. Several of the churches are
handsome, but they, as well as many private houses, are built of wood
painted white, and have green Venetian shutters. Mr. Fearon had not seen
a town either in America or Europe which bore the appearance of general
prosperity, equal to Providence. Ship and house-builders were fully
occupied, as indeed were all classes of mechanics. The residents of this
place are chiefly native Americans; for foreign emigrants seem never to
think of New England. Rent and provisions are here much lower than in
New York.
At _Pawtucket_, four miles from Providence, are thirteen cotton
manufactories; six of which are on a large scale. Mr. Fearon visited
three of them. They had excellent machinery; but not more than one half
of this was in operation, and the persons employed in all the
manufactories combined, were not equal in number to those at one of
moderate size in Lancashire.
The road from Providence to Boston is much better than that which Mr.
Fearon had already passed from New London. The aspect of the country
also was improved; but there was nothing in either, as to mere
appearance, which would be inviting to an inhabitant of England.
From its irregularity, and from other circumstances, _Boston_ is much
more like an English town than New York. The names are English, and the
inhabitants are by no means so uniformly sallow, as they are in many
other parts of America. This town is considered the head quarters of
Federalism in politics, and of Unitarianism in religion. It contains
many rich families. The Bostonians are also the most enlightened, and
the most hospitable people whom Mr. Fearon had yet seen in America:
they, however, in common with all New Englanders, have the character of
being greater sharpers, and more generally dishonourable, than the
natives of other sections of the Union.
The _Athaeneum public library_, under the management of Mr. Shaw, is a
valuable establishment. It contained, at this time, 18,000 volumes, four
thousand of which were the property of the secretary of state.
The society in Boston is considered better than that in New York. Many
of the richer families live in great splendour, and in houses little
inferior to those of Russell-square, London. Distinctions here exist to
an extent rather ludicrous under a free and popular government: there
are the first class, second class, third class, and the "old families."
Titles, too, are diffusely distributed.
Boston is not a thriving, that is, not an increasing town. It wants a
fertile back country; and it is too far removed from the western states
to have much trade.
On an eminence, in the Mall, (a fine public walk,) is built the _State
House_, in which the legislature holds its meetings. The view from the
top of this building is peculiarly fine. The islands, the shipping, the
town, the hill and dale scenery, for a distance of thirty miles, present
an assemblage of objects which are beautifully picturesque. Boston was
the birth-place of Dr. Franklin, and in this town the first dawnings of
the American revolution broke forth. The heights of Dorchester and
Bunker's Hill are in its immediate vicinity.
On the 20th of September Mr. Fearon walked to _Bunker's Hill_. It is of
moderate height. The monument, placed here in commemoration of the
victory obtained by the English over the Americans, on the 17th of June,
1776, is of brick and wood, and without inscription.
[At _Cambridge_, four miles from Boston, is a college, called _Harvard
College_, in honour of the Rev. John Harvard of Charleston, who left to
it his library, and a considerable sum of money. This college is upon a
scale so large and liberal, as to consist of seven spacious buildings,
and to contain two hundred and fifty apartments for officers and
students. It has an excellent library of about 17,000 volumes, a
philosophical apparatus, and a museum of natural history. The average
number of students is about two hundred and sixty. Admission into this
college requires a previous knowledge of mathematics, Latin, and Greek.
All the students have equal rights; and each class has peculiar
instructors. Degrees are here conferred, as in the English universities;
and the period of study requisite for the degree of bachelor of arts is
four years. The professorships are numerous. Harvard College furnishes
instructors and teachers to the most distant parts of the union; and, in
general, for the extent of its funds, the richness of its library, the
number and character of its establishments, and the means it affords of
acquiring, not only an academical, but a professional education, it is
considered to be without an equal in the country. It is, however,
remarked, that this college is somewhat heretical in matters of
religion; as most of the theological students leave it disaffected
towards the doctrine of the Trinity.]
* * * * *
From this place we must return to New York, for the purpose of
accompanying Mr. Weld on a voyage up the river Hudson to Lake Champlain.
Third Day's Instruction.